A VPN changes the country that websites and apps see from your IP address: connect to a server in another country. Your Google Play country follows your Google payments profile and changes at most once a year, and the region setting of your phone only changes formats such as dates.
Three kinds of country on Android
| What sets it | Changes with a VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| The location websites see | Your IP address | Yes |
| Your Google Play country | Your Google payments profile | No |
| Region and formats | Android settings | No |
To read the news of another country, check how a site looks from there or open sites your network blocks, the first one is the one that matters.
Change the location websites see
- Open PryVPN and go to the Locations tab.
- Search for a country or a city, or scroll the list.
- Tap a city. If you're already connected, PryVPN moves you over in a moment.
- Check the result with What is my IP.
Tap the star to keep a city in Favorites, and use Fastest to sort by the latency from your phone. For everyday use, Smart Location picks a nearby, healthy server, and Choosing a location covers the rest of the screen.
Sites can also use your account, your SIM card or your payment card to decide your country, and some ask for extra checks on VPN servers. A VPN changes the IP part.
Can a VPN change your Google Play country?
No: Google Play shows apps and prices for the country of your Google payments profile, not of your IP address. Google lets you change it when you are in the new country, with a payment method from there, at most once a year: open Google Play, tap your profile picture, then Settings › General › Account and device preferences › Country and profiles.
Keeping it apart from the VPN keeps your purchases, subscriptions and family settings tied to your account.
What does the region setting change on Android?
Only formats. Android's language and region settings, under Settings › System › Languages (the path varies by brand), set the date, number and temperature formats and the first day of the week. They don't move your IP address or your Google Play country: for the location websites see, connect to a VPN server in another country.
Using servers in another country
Using a VPN is legal in most countries. Each service sets its own terms for what it offers in each country, and you're responsible for following the rules that apply to you. Using PryVPN when you travel covers banking apps, roaming and travel eSIMs.
Key takeaways
- A VPN changes the country websites see from your IP address.
- In PryVPN, pick a city in the Locations tab.
- Your Google Play country follows your payments profile, not your IP.
- Android's region setting only changes formats.